


Doubts and Dilemmas

by blahrandomblah



Category: Sanctuary - Fandom, Scisaac - Fandom, Sterek - Fandom, teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-05 19:14:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blahrandomblah/pseuds/blahrandomblah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek Hale has been dating Stiles Stilinski in secret. Stiles has repeatedly asked Derek for the bite, but Derek has always refused him. Stiles' persistence is unmatched though, and Derek finally concedes. The bite doesn't take. Derek and Stiles are out of town with Scott and Isaac at the time, and are forced to look for help with an old friend of Derek's: Helen Magnus of the Sanctuary network.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Step

**Author's Note:**

> I guess this is technically a crossover, but the main focus is on the Teen Wolf side of things. I think you'll understand why I've included Dr. Magnus and the Sanctuary.

The carpet has a noticeable track in it from the insane amount of pacing Derek Hale has done over the last hour. He has had this argument with his boyfriend many times. He’s explained his position clearly and firmly on multiple occasions. He wonders why this argument keeps popping up.

“Listen, Derek,” Stiles Stilinski says, trying to calm his boyfriend down. Stiles is fidgeting in frustration on the living room couch. “I know the risk; if the bite doesn’t take, I could die. I also know the rewards: speed, stamina, heightened senses, agility, and the fact that I would no longer be in an interspecies relationship! You know I’ve wanted this for a long time. This is a decision I’ve made over two years of deliberation. It’s my choice if I want the bite or not. I want it Derek.”

“We’ve been over this,” Derek responds. He stops pacing and kneels on the floor in front of Stiles. Grabbing Stiles’ hands, Derek explains his position once again. “There is no ‘could die’ Stiles. If the bite doesn’t take, you will die. How can you ask me to bite the man I love and risk his life? You would never risk mine so recklessly. I’m not willing to bet your life that you’ll survive the bite.”

“It’s my life to wager, Derek.” Stiles is being as sincere as possible. “We’ve heard that people die if they don’t turn, but who have we seen die from the bite? Name one. I can’t. Erica, Isaac, Jackson, Lydia, and, hell, even Mrs. Argent. Clearly, the probability is higher that the bite will work. I’m young and healthy. I’ve bulked up a lot in the last few years. I can survive this.”

“None of that matters! Stiles, each case is unique. It may be your life to wager, but it’s my bite to give.”

Derek and Stiles stare at each other in silence for a long time. Each searches the other’s eyes for any sign that he might budge. The only thing either finds is steadfast determination. Derek is the first to break the silence.

“Look, we promised each other when we started dating that we would never go to bed angry with each other. I’m not mad that you want the bite, Stiles. I get it,” Derek admits. “Do you understand how I would feel if…” Derek can’t finish the thought, choking on his own words. He drops his head to hide the single tear escaping from his eye.

“Don’t, please,” Stiles begs, tearing up himself. “You know I’ll start, too.” Derek looks up, doing his best to form a smile. The half-smile he achieves looks much more like a grimace. “Of course, I understand how you would feel. But, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m not angry either, just…disappointed,” Stiles says, shrugging.

“We’re not going to change each other’s minds tonight. Can we just go to bed?” Derek asks.

Stiles sighs, and smiles slightly. He nods slowly. “Yeah, we can do that.”

Derek and Stiles both stand up, and leave the living room of Derek’s small apartment. Walking into the bedroom, Stiles and Derek strip themselves of their shirts, socks, and jeans. They crawl under the covers and Derek slips his arms around Stiles. Holding him there, all the pain of their fight begins to fade away.

Derek is thankful that here, in the solitude of his apartment, they are free to be themselves. They feel no stress of hiding who they are to each other. When they started dating two years ago, they decided it was best not to tell their friends they were dating. That way, if anything went wrong between them, they wouldn’t cause any awkwardness within the pack. 

However, even after dating for so long without any major problems, they still haven’t found the right time to tell the pack how they feel about each other. The pack has noticed that they get along much better than they did when Stiles was in high school, but this fact is attributed to them becoming friends over the years. Stiles and Derek spend a lot of time with Isaac and Scott. Scott is Stiles’ best friend, and Isaac is Derek’s. The four of them get along well, and it allows Stiles and Derek time out together without anyone getting suspicious.

The apartment is a refuge, though. Stiles and Derek are free to be themselves, and they relish their time together there. Stiles stays over quite often, but everyone assumes it’s because he doesn’t like the sheriff’s new live-in girlfriend. The couch is always made up with blankets and pillows so the others think Stiles is sleeping there.

As Derek holds Stiles, he places a small kiss on the spot where Stiles’ shoulder and neck meet. Stiles stretches his neck, giving Derek a little more space kiss. A soft moan escapes Stiles lips.

“I love you,” Stiles mutters.

“I know,” Derek answers.

“Excuse me,” Stiles retorts, quickly. “That’s not the correct answer.”

“It’s not?” Derek asks.

“You know very well it’s not.”

“Oh, well, I just thought the fact that I love you was a given,” Derek teases. “But, since that doesn’t seem to be the case: I love you, Stiles Stilinski.”

Stiles turns his head just enough to kiss Derek on the lips. Even to this day, Derek can hear Stiles’ heartbeat falter when they kiss. Derek squeezes Stiles more tightly, and they let their heads fall limply to the pillows. Derek will never get used to falling asleep this way. 

***

Derek and Stiles wake up without any taint of the previous night’s argument. Stiles makes a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage, and French toast. After they eat, both leave the apartment for the day. Derek heads toward the forest where he has a training session planned with Isaac and Danny, who joined the pack about a year ago. Stiles has plans with Lydia that Derek didn’t ask about.

When Derek arrives in the woods, he finds that he is alone; neither Isaac nor Danny has arrived yet. He takes a seat on a fallen tree and feels the pocket of his jeans vibrating. He pulls out his phone and reads a text from Stiles.

"Hey! Hope the training is going well. Ask Isaac if he wants to go bowling later; Scott’s game. The bowling alley is having some sort of big party tonight with door prizes and everything. It’ll be fun!"

Derek laughs, and responds quickly. "No one is here yet. I’ll ask him, though. He’ll probably say yes. What time?"

"Hell, idk. I think you have to get there by 9:00 to get a door prize ticket. So, let’s say 8:30."

"You do love your prizes, don’t you? Lol. Alright."

***

The bowling alley is extremely crowded by the time Stiles, Derek, Scott, and Isaac arrive. They manage to get one of the last available lanes, though. Unfortunately, they are sandwiched between a lane of really drunk adults and a lane of middle school students. Derek begins to think this was a bad idea.

“Anybody want some pizza?” Scott asks. “There’s nothing better than bowling alley pizza!”

“I’m in,” Isaac answers. “No frickin’ black olives this time, though.”

“Definitely no black olives,” Stiles agrees.

“You two are so picky,” Scott asserts. “I guess we could all share a pitcher of Bud Light, too?”

“Now, you’re talking!” Derek pipes up.

“You get the pizza; I’ll get the beer,” Stiles offers to Scott.

“Deal!”

The group of friends eats and drinks for the next hour and a half. Derek, Scott, and Isaac get worse at bowling with each cup of beer, but Stiles somehow manages to improve. By the end of the fourth pitcher and innumerable shots, Stiles is destroying the others completely.

“I never knew y’ were such good a bowler, man,” Scott mumbles.

“Um, ‘s called skillzzzzzzz, bud!” Stiles responds with a poke to Scott’s shoulder.

“Yr on…good…cuz…drinks,” is all that Derek can make out of what Isaac says. 

“Ok, guys,” Derek starts. “I think it’s time that we all start heading home. You’re all lightweights, and are getting ridiculous.”

“NO!” Stiles shouts. “We have ta wait for da last door prizzzzzzzzze.”

Derek can’t resist the huge smile on Stiles’ face. “Fine, but then we’re leaving.” He turns to Scott. “I’m calling Allison to come pick up you and Isaac. I can get Stiles and myself back to my apartment easily; he can sleep on the couch again.”

“You shun’t drife,” Scott mumbles.

“Look, bud. I’m stronger than you, and I stopped drinking before you did. My body has taken care of most of the alcohol. I’m good,” Derek responds.

The discussion is interrupted by an announcement through the speakers. “Alright, folks. Get out your tickets. We’re drawing for the final door prize! The winner is 2297765. Again, that’s 2297765.”

Stiles’ eyes grow as big as saucers. “That’s me!”

Derek grabs the ticket to verify. “Cool, Stiles! It really is the winner!”

Derek walks everyone up to the front counter where they collect Stiles’ prize. After turning in their shoes, they all head out into the parking lot to wait for Allison. Derek is thankful that she is already there when he finally gets everyone outside. Derek is thankful to only be responsible for Stiles now. He drives back to his apartment and puts Stiles to bed on the couch for real this time; he doesn’t want to be bothered with Stiles’ drunken squirming throughout the night. Stiles won’t find out until the morning that he won a four-pack of tickets to Disneyland.


	2. Love is Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loving someone isn't always easy. Derek, Stiles, and Isaac all experience that truth in this chapter.

***One month later***

“Damn it, Derek!” Stiles shouts. “Why are you being so stubborn about this?”

“Maybe because you’re being so selfish, Stiles,” Derek retorts.

“Selfish?” Stiles responds, throwing his hands up in front of him. “How exactly am I being selfish?”

“You’re a smart guy; do I really need to explain it to you?” Derek asks.

“Clearly, you do, because I don’t see how wanting the bite makes me selfish,” Stiles answers. “You’re a werewolf; I’m human. You know as well as I do how that can be a problem more often than we thought it would be. So, how is fixing that disparity a selfish act?”

Derek takes a deep breath and considers his words carefully before speaking. “You know I don’t want to risk your life to turn you. You keep trying to guilt me into doing it anyway. That’s the definition of selfish, Stiles.”

“Oh, ok. I personify selfishness. Gotcha,” Stiles says with an eerie calm. 

Derek realizes his words were not as well-considered as he thought they were. His words were harsher out loud than they were in his head. He closes his eyes and drops his head, acknowledging his mistake in his own way. 

“Oh, no. Please, don’t feel sorry about saying that, Derek. It’s good to know how you see me,” Stiles says, unaware of the stabbing pain it causes in Derek’s chest. Stiles walks to the door of the apartment and opens it. As he starts to walk out, he turns around to face Derek once again. “I can see now that you’re not going to change your mind; I guess it’s time to ask Scott.”

With that, Stiles slams the door behind him and Derek is left staring at the place that he was just standing. Guilt and pain cascade over Derek like a wave delivering its crest across the beach. Nausea fills his stomach with the thought of someone else biting Stiles, even if it’s Scott. Derek’s shame from hurting Stiles is boundless. He can’t think for the life of him how this fight got so out of hand.

Unconsciously, Derek’s right hand slides slowly through his own hair as he stands there, transfixed on the door. He is completely unaware of the tear that streams down the side of his face.. He wants to call Isaac, but there would require a much-too-extensive explanation; plus, Derek’s not entirely convinced he can move.

Ten minutes pass. 

Thirty.

An hour.

Maybe two.

Derek has slumped to the floor, arms wrapped tightly around his knees. His head is cocked slightly in contemplation, but his eyes are still locked on the place where Stiles delivered his parting words. The single tear he shed has become a dry trail on his right cheek, but his heart has fallen to his stomach where it floats in a pool of remorse. He is interrupted by a soft series of knocks on the door.

Without moving, Derek mumbles, “it’s open,” in a near-silent, monotonous whisper.

The door handle turns hesitantly, and the door opens slowly. A full array of tears assault Derek as he watches his boyfriend cautiously enter his apartment. Stiles is biting down on his own lip, and Derek can tell by his bloodshot eyes that Stiles has been crying. Stiles closes the door and sits down on the floor, resting his back against the front door. They stare at each other for a long time before speaking up at the same time.

Stiles admits, “Derek, you’re right. I’m being really selfish right now, and I would never dream of asking Scott to change me instead of you. I’m sorry.” 

At the same time, Derek concedes, “You’re the least selfish person I know, Stiles. I’ve never said such an untrue thing in my life. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Could you stop for a minute? I’m trying to apologize here,” Stiles says, perplexed.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Stiles. I’m the one who was unforgivably stupid,” Derek counters, shifting himself into a cross-legged position. “You are the most important person in my life. I never want to hurt you the way I hurt you, today.”

“You don’t get to take all the blame here,” Stiles starts. “I know how much I hurt you when I said I would ask Scott to turn me. You do know I would never do that, right?”

“Stop. You only said that because I pushed you into it,” Derek asserts.

Derek and Stiles stare at each other before silent sinks in again. Derek doesn’t know what to say next. He’s afraid saying the wrong thing could start another fight. Luckily for him, Stiles can’t stay quiet for long.

Stiles expresses his concern. “This is starting to be a problem, isn’t it?”

Derek knows he is referring to his humanity. Derek hates to admit it, but it’s undeniably a cause for conflict recently. “It does seem to keep popping up.”

“So, what are we going to do about it?” Stiles asks.

“I guess one of us is going to have to change his stance,” Derek answers.

“That’s easier said than done,” Stiles points out. Derek nods his agreement.

Silence falls between them again. Derek allows his eyes to survey his boyfriend. Stiles’ left leg is bouncing restlessly from anxiety. One arm is cradled over his midsection, cradling his pain and guilt. His head rests atop his other hand as his eyes do their own scan of Derek.

It comforts Derek to know that Stiles is searching him for signs of pain. That’s what makes them work so well as a couple: they both sincerely despise the idea of causing each other pain, and work to fix it when they do. Communication has always paid off for them. Even now, after an evening of hurt and conflict, they can sit here and know they are loved.

“I have an idea. It’s not perfect and you may not like it, but hear me out,” Derek starts. Stiles nods. “Let’s shelve this whole idea for a while. We both need a break from it.” Derek can tell that Stiles doesn’t like the idea by the way he raises his eyebrows. “During that time, I promise to give full consideration to biting you and see if I can find a way to move past my concerns.”

Derek can see Stiles weighing this option. Stiles’ head even tilts side-to-side as he considers this proposal. It’s quite adorable. “You know what, that’s all I ask,” Stiles answers. “Well, that and one more thing. If we’re really trying to keep this out of our relationship for a while, I think we should do something to keep our minds off of it.”

“That sounds fair. What do you want to do?” Derek asks.

“Well, I did win those tickets to Disneyland…” Stiles says, shrugging.

“You want to go to Disneyland? Isn’t that a little childish? Even for you.”

“I don’t care if we go to Disneyland or not, but it comes with two free nights in one of the signature suites! We could stay there and see anything we want in Anaheim. I checked out the suite, and there’s a master and additional bedroom; we can invite Scott and Isaac, and it’ll be a fantastic time!”

“I’m sure they’d love a free vacation,” Derek jokes. “Let’s do it.”

Derek stands up and walks over to Stiles. He holds out his hand, and Stiles takes it. Derek pulls Stiles up off the floor and wraps his arms around the man he loves. Derek holds on tightly, pouring all of his regret and love into the embrace; he can feel Stiles doing the same.

Derek whispers into Stiles’ ear. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

***

The next morning, Derek drives to Danny’s to pick up Isaac. Isaac has been living there for about a year now. They have plans to go for a run in the woods. When he arrives, he can tell that Isaac has something on his mind. Derek tries to put it out of his mind, because he knows his best friend will tell him about it eventually. Derek can’t help being concerned, though.

Derek and Isaac are barely ten minutes into their run when Isaac stops running. He walks over to a large oak tree and leans against it. Derek turns to face him, and waits for Isaac to speak.

“I did something really stupid, and I’ve got to talk about it with someone. You have to promise not to tell anyone, though,” Isaac pleads.

“Of course,” Derek answers. “You’re like my brother, man. Whatever you tell me is between us.”

“Ok,” Isaac replies. “No judgment?”

“I’ll do my very best,” Derek says, honestly.

Isaac nods. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before starting. His nerves and guilt cause his speech to be hesitant. “So…I um…was out with a friend, who’s in a committed relationship, and we were having a really great time…and then…we…you know,” Isaac ends his speech by giving Derek a look that says please-don’t-make-me-say-this.

“You two slept together?” Derek asks. Isaac shoves his hands into his pockets and nods slowly. “Do you regret it?”

Isaac’s shame is easily readable on his face. “That’s the worst part: I don’t. I mean, I hate that I made my friend a cheater, but it was great. I’ve been interested in this particular friend for a while, and I think we could be really good for each other. I know it’s all twisted and horrible, but I can’t help it.”

“Isaac,” Derek begins. “If you want this thing to work out, you can’t do anything else until the relationship is over. It’s ok to feel how you feel, but you don’t want to start a relationship this way.”

“I know, and it won’t happen again. I just feel really small right now; I’m a horrible person.” 

Derek can’t stand listening to his friend degrade himself this way. “Stop. Everyone fucks up, Isaac. You’re not the only guilty party here. Your friend shouldn’t have done anything either. Clearly, there’s something wrong with that relationship. Talk it out. See if you both want the same thing.”

“I guess that’s all I can do, now,” Isaac admits.

“It is, bud,” Derek replies. “Don’t let this eat you up too much. One mistake does not a homewrecker make. If you do it again, then I’ll have to kick your ass.”

“Deal.”

Derek walks over to Isaac and grabs his shoulder. “Hey, I have an idea that might help keep your mind off of things for a while.”

“What’s that?” Isaac asks.

“You know how Stiles won those door prize tickets? Well, they were a four-pack, room-inclusive trip to Disneyland. He was thinking you, me, him, and Scott could all go have a good weekend.” Noticing the look on Isaacs face, Derek adds, “He doesn’t actually want to go to Disneyland, but there’s no reason not to use the suite and get out of town.”

“I guess not,” Isaac shrugs. “We could always check out the ESPN store in Downtown Disney.”

“Works for me,” Derek agrees.

“I’m in!” Isaac says, smiling slightly.


	3. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek learn something about Scott. Three people get lucky.

“Red one!” Scott shouts as he punches Stiles in the arm.

“Holy fuck, dude,” Stiles retorts. “I’m going to have a bruise the size of Texas on my arm.”

“You’re the one who wanted to play the game,” Scott reminds Stiles.

“What the hell else are we supposed to do on a three hour drive to Disney?” Stiles asks.

“You could stay quiet so we can actually hear the radio,” Derek suggests. Truth be told, he would rather do anything on this drive than watch Scott punch Stiles. He knows it’s a game between friends, but he’s instinctively protective of Stiles. 

“Some of us don’t want to hear that old crap you listen to anyways,” Scott asserts. “You put it on something from this decade, and we’ll shut up.”

“If this decade had any music worth listening to, I’d be happy to play it,” Derek counters.

“Can we not?” Isaac asks. “We’re supposed to be going on vacation. Derek, come on; some of the music from this decade is fantastic. Scott, Derek’s music is some of the best music of all time.”

“He’s right guys,” Stiles agrees, shrugging.

The rest of the ride down to Anaheim is rather enjoyable. Derek settles on a station that plays a mix of contemporary and classic hits, and everyone is appeased. Scott and Stiles quit playing their stupid Volkswagen game, and Derek relaxes a little bit. 

They pull into the hotel around 9:00 PM. Even though it’s a Thursday night, the place seems packed. They take what little luggage the brought into the lobby and Stiles handles things from there. It takes about 20 minutes before they actually get up into the suite.

“Isn’t this great?” Stiles asks, giving their temporary home a look-over. “I figured the Pirates of the Caribbean signature suite would be the least cheesy. Look at all the cool pirate-y stuff!”

“Actually, it’s not that bad,” Derek has to admit. He assumed it would be childish, but this place is definitely livable for the next few days.

“Could be worse,” Isaac shrugs.

“This is great!” Scott says, smiling. “It’s almost like living in a pirate ship!”

“I know, right?” Stiles responds. “So, there’s a master and a guest bedroom. I guess we need to sort out the sleeping arrangements.”

“I’ll room with Stiles,” Scott volunteers. “It’s not like we’ve never done that before.”

“Man, you snore,” Stiles argues. “I’m not dealing with that on vacation.” Scott furrows his brow, but doesn’t say anything.

“I snore, too,” Isaac admits. “Scott and I could take the guest room if you and Derek don’t mind rooming together.”

Derek and Stiles had already planned a lot of this out before starting the trip. So, Derek delivers his line. “There’s only one bed in there.”

“Yeah, and it’s a fucking king,” Isaac points out. “You could fit five people on there. Sleep on opposite sides; you won’t have to touch each other.”

“Dude, I’m game if you’re game,” Stiles offers, facing Derek so his wink is missed by Scott and Isaac.

Derek can’t help but chuckle a little. He shakes his head. “Whatever. At least you don’t snore.”

“It’s settled, then,” Isaac answers. “I’m going to drop off my stuff and head to the ESPN Zone. Anyone want to go?”

“Yeah, I’m game,” Derek says. “Stiles?”

“Um…it’s not that I don’t like sports, because we all know I do. However, you and Isaac would have a much better time without Scott and me. We can’t just sit and watch the game; we’ll want to talk,” Stiles adds, honestly.

“It’s true,” Scott acknowledges.

“Works for me,” Isaac says. “See you guys later!”

“See you guys,” Derek echoes.

***

Derek and Isaac are lucky enough to find seats at the bar when they get there. Looking around, Derek sees every sport imaginable on at least one screen. However, a majority of the screens, including the one in front of them, is showing a baseball game. It’s a replay from earlier in the day, but Derek didn’t catch it because he was too busy getting ready for the trip.

“I don’t really care for the Reds or the Phillies,” Derek admits. “Should be a good game, though.”

“They were four and three for series last year,” Isaac notes. “I’m sure the Reds will be out for revenge this year.”

“They had an ok year last year; maybe they can do even better this year. Still, I’m not really vested.”

“Me neither,” Isaac agrees.

Derek and Isaac watch the rest of the first inning before anyone takes their order. They decide to split pitchers again. Derek gets the first one. As he puts his wallet back in his jeans, he feels his pocket vibrate. He checks his phone and sees that there’s a message from Stiles.

“So…Scott just told me he broke up with Allison.”

Derek is surprised by this news. He texts Stiles, “I thought they were getting along fine. What happened?”

Derek has a few moments to check on the game while he waits for Stiles to answer. “I don’t know. He won’t tell me, which is weird, because we tell each other everything. I’m worried. Do you think I should push the issue, or ???”

Derek thinks for a minute before answering. “I would say he’ll tell you when he’s ready. Just be there for him. You’re better at that stuff than I am. Go with your instincts.”

“Hmmm…ok. Hope you’re having fun!”

“I am. Now, go be a good friend.”

When Derek puts the phone up, Isaac looks at him, eyes raised. 

Derek knows Stiles told him this in confidence, so he doesn’t think he should tell Isaac. “It’s nothing, just Danny asking if we made it ok.”

“Gotcha,” Isaac answers. “You missed one hell of a play, though.”

“If it was good, they’ll replay it,” Derek shrugs.

The waitress finally brings them their pitcher. Derek notices the way she winks at Isaac as she places the pitcher in front of them. When she walks away, Derek nudges Isaac in the side.

“Dude, she likes you.”

“What?” Isaac asks, confused.

“You can’t have missed the wink,” Derek says knowingly. “She didn’t even look at me, and I paid for the damn thing.”

“She’s just trying to get a better tip,” Isaac suggests.

“She’s trying to get your tip,” Derek corrects, only half-joking.

“Really, Derek?” Isaac asks, resting his forehead on his hand and chuckling.

“What’s wrong with getting some action on vacation?” Derek asks.

“You know about my friend,” Isaac reminds Derek.

“Oh. So, she’s not still in a relationship?”

“Well, we haven’t really talked since that night, so I don’t know what’s going on.”

“That sucks, man. I hope you figure it out soon. Don’t hold out for too long, though. You don’t want to be strung along,” Derek advises. He remembers how it was with Kate. He doesn’t want Isaac to get hurt like he was.

“I won’t,” Isaac answers. “Hey, wait. Why don’t you try to pick someone up?”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Derek answers, almost too quickly.

“Why not? You know…we’ve been best friends for two years and I’ve never seen you take a girl home before. Never. The only person who ever stays over other than you is Stiles.”

“I’m not really a hit-it-and-quit-it guy,” Derek admits.

“I get that,” Isaac replies.

After a couple hours, Derek is ready to head back to the hotel. He’s seen the waitress flirt with Isaac for long enough, and he wants to be with Stiles. Isaac decides to stay for one more beer, so Derek goes back to the apartment by himself.

***

Derek and Stiles brush their teeth and crawl into bed. Derek can’t believe how comfortable the large bed is. The balcony door is open, and a cool evening breeze flows into the room. The sheets are still warm from being in the sunlight all day. Stiles scoots close toward Derek and rests his head on Derek’s chest.

“How’s Scott,” Derek asks.

“He’s ok,” Stiles answers. “I didn’t get much out of him, but I guess he’s started developing feelings for someone new. He won’t tell me who, so I’m sure I know her. Allison didn’t take it well at all, though. I know, because Lydia sent me a message about her being in tears.”

“I can’t imagine how she feels. I don’t know what I’d do if you started having feelings for someone else,” Derek confesses, kissing Stiles’ head.

“Same here, but I think the problem is that Scott found his true soulmate.” Stiles explains, “He didn’t say much, but I could tell by the way his face lit up. I don’t think he meant to hurt Allison, but he can’t help how he feels about this other girl.”

“Still sucks for her though,” Derek says.

“Yeah. How was your night with Isaac?”

“Actually, it was kind of annoying,” Derek admits. “This waitress kept hitting on him, and he wouldn’t do anything about it. I mean, if he wasn’t interested, he should have just let her down easily.”

“Maybe he didn’t realize she was hitting on him,” Stiles suggests.

“Oh, I made sure to point it out.”

Stiles laughs. “I’m sure you did.”

Derek and Stiles’ conversation is interrupted by some noise from the guest room. Even with his enhanced hearing, Derek can’t make out exactly what’s being said because Isaac and Scott are muttering in hushed voices. He can tell they are talking about something, but he can’t tell what. He assumes it was a fight of some sort, though, because the door to the guest room is slammed shut.

“What’s going on?” Stiles asks.

“I think Scott and Isaac were arguing about something. I couldn’t make it out.”

A few moments later, Derek recognizes a thumping sound like that of a headboard against a wall. The noise is rhythmic and, oh god, Derek hears his best friend moaning. Derek’s face gives something away, because Stile asks, “What now? What is that thumping noise?”

“I think I know what the fight was about,” Derek answers. When Stiles gives him a questioning look, Derek explains. “I think Isaac brought home the waitress. They were probably arguing about Scott sleeping on the couch. That thumping sound is Isaac and the waitress.”

Derek watches as the truth sinks in for Stiles. “Oh. Well, at least someone is getting lucky tonight.”

Derek laughs. He and Stiles lie there for a while not being able to block out the noise. Derek doesn’t have a headboard at home, so they don’t have to worry about those sounds. However, the last time they stayed in a hotel, the neighbors pounded on the walls to get them to quiet down.

“It’s turning me on, too,” Stiles whispers.

“What?” Derek asks. Stiles nods his head toward Derek’s crotch. Fuck! When did he get hard? “I was thinking about that time in the hotel room.”

“That was hot,” Stiles says, still in a whisper. 

Stiles slides his hand down Derek’s stomach and sneaks his fingertips under the waistband of Derek’s briefs. Derek can’t help but shiver. Stiles pulls Dereks briefs down midway to his thighs before Derek stops him.

“If I can hear Isaac, he can hear us,” Derek points out.

“Then, I guess you better be quiet,” Stiles counters.

Before Derek can give a response, Stiles disappears under the covers. Derek lifts the sheet just as Stiles takes Derek into his mouth. Derek’s hip buck upward as his back arches up off the bed. Derek has to bite his bottom lip to keep from moaning. He loves the way Stiles sucks him. He never enjoyed oral sex until he started dating Stiles.

Stiles bobs his head slowly up and down on Derek’s cock. Every few dips, Stiles takes a little more into his mouth. Derek is impressed that the suction doesn’t stop. Ever. Derek feels Stiles’ nose touch above the base of his cock; Stiles has him fully deep. Derek’s toes curl at the sensation. Stiles lifts his head to the Derek’s tip and then slams back down, increasing speed with each bob.

Derek’s hands grip the bed with immense strength. It takes everything he has to stay quiet. Stiles grab Derek’s ball in his right hand and squeezes them gently, stroking himself with his left. A small moan escapes Derek’s mouth. Stiles pulls down slightly and Derek is so close. He pulls his pillow over his head and bites down on it as he releases into Stiles’ mouth.

Stiles scoots up and kisses Derek. Derek can taste himself on Stiles’ tongue, and doesn’t know if he should be as turned on as he is by it. He pushes Stiles onto his back and replaces Stiles’ hand with his own. After a few pumps, Stiles is squirming beneath Derek as he spews his load over his own stomach. Derek licks up the mess and kisses Stiles.

“Wow,” Stiles mouths.

Derek flashes his boyfriend a huge smile and nods. They kiss once again and then slide to opposite sides of the bed. They don’t want anyone walking in on them in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I should have another chapter up by Friday, though!


	4. Out With the Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They spend their first full day in Anaheim. There's a baseball game, some Disneyland, and a special scene in the bedroom.

Derek’s eyes are snails as they begin to separate and let in the morning light streaming through the master bedroom. He tries to stretch his muscles, but realizes Stiles is lying on top of his left arm. Sometime in the night, they found each other unconsciously. For a moment, Derek thinks about how incredibly adorable it is that their slumbered bodies refused to be separated, but then he hears noises from Scott and Isaac’s room.

“Hey,” Derek whispers into Stiles’ ear. When Stiles doesn’t move, Derek shakes him slightly and adds, “Stiles, you gotta wake up.”

“Hmmm?” Stiles mutters. 

“Isaac’s awake and heading this way,” Derek explains. “You’ve got to roll over a few feet.”

Stiles’ face shows no sign of concern, but he sleepily rolls over nonetheless. He buries his face into a pillow and begins snoring softly. Derek rolls onto his side facing away from Stiles just to be safe. A soft knocking breaks the quiet of the room. Derek gets out of bed and walks to the door, opening it slightly. Isaac is dressed in gym clothes.

“Ah,” Derek utters. “Gym?”

Isaac nods his head. “Thought I’d see if you wanted to come.”

“Sure,” Derek says, shrugging. “Let me grab a shirt and some shorts.”

A few moments later, Derek and Isaac are riding the elevator down to the gym. Derek leans against the wall of the elevator, still not completely awake. Isaac is avoiding Derek’s gaze and tapping his foot rapidly.

“Is there something on your mind?” Derek asks.

Isaac laughs. “How are you so observant? You always know.”

“Isaac, you’re my best friend. You’re easy for me to read,” Derek admits.

“I guess it’s cool that somebody knows me that well; I’ve never had that before.” Isaac takes a deep breath and starts confessing. “Look, I don’t know what you heard last night, but I don’t want you to…”

“It’s none of my business,” Derek interrupts. “I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear anything.”

Isaac crosses his arms across his chest defensively and asks, “What all did you hear?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Derek answers.

“Is it that horrible?”

“Listening to my best friend have sex? Yes. You were so loud I couldn’t even hear the waitress.”

“The waitress,” Isaac repeats. Derek notices something like relief flood over Isaacs face. “Oh. Sorry. I’ll be quieter next time.”

“It’s whatever, man,” Derek says. “Just make sure Scott doesn’t mind.”

“Oh, Scott doesn’t mind; that much I know.”

“Great,” Derek says.

***

Derek and Isaac are basically assaulted upon their return from the gym. Scott and Stiles had been sitting as close to the door as possible. They jump up as Derek and Isaac walk in.

“God! What took you two so long?” Stiles asks.

“Yeah. We’re starving,” Scott adds.

“Starving,” Stiles repeats.

Isaac laughs. “Well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. I, for one, plan on showering before breakfast.”

“Same here,” Derek agrees. “You guys could have gone without us, you know?”

“Whatever!” Stiles says. “Just…hurry up.”

In less than a half hour, the foursome is off to find a place for breakfast. Eventually, they come to a small café about three blocks away from the hotel. Inside, there are five booths, a small bar that seats 5, and four tables. Only one table is open, so the four of them sit down.

A waitress approaches them. She is at least 70 years old, and barely stands over five feet tall. Her uniform and hair is reminiscent of a much earlier era, but she’s full of energy and has an incredible smile. Her face looks like it contains a lifetime of stories.

“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a collection of cuteness in all my years,” she says as she comes to a stop at their table.

“And we’ve never seen such a well-aged 40 year old,” Stiles replies, giving her his most charming smile.

“Well, aren’t you sweet? I bet you just get all the young ladies,” she says, blushing slightly.

“He wishes,” Scott jokes.

“Be polite to your friends, young man. In the end, they’ll be the ones that stick around. Now, I’m Linda. What can I get you all today?”

After eating a few plates of eggs, pancakes, and sausages, the friends begin planning for the day. Derek had bought them all tickets to see the Angels play the Mariners; it is an afternoon game, so they mostly make plans for the evening. Scott doesn’t care where they go. Isaac mentions the possibility of going back to the ESPN Zone. Stiles wants to go to the House of Blues. For some reason, everyone looks to Derek to be the decision maker.

“I think the House of Blues sounds interesting,” Derek says. “We all love live music, and there should be food and drinks close by.”

“Works for me,” Scott volunteers.

“I already voted for it,” Stiles points out.

Derek looks at Isaac, who shrugs and says, “Why not?”

***

“I still can’t believe it!” Isaac shouts as they walk up to the House of Blues.

“I know, right?” Derek agrees.

“Two outs, and he stole home base!” Stiles adds. “I mean, that’s not even smart.”

“No, but it worked,” Scott reminds him. “You have to take risks to win.”

“That risk easily could have been a flop, though,” Derek asserts.

Isaac slaps him on the shoulder. “But, it wasn’t!”

“Wow!” Stiles exclaims. “This place is awesome! Why is so packed already, though? The show doesn’t start for like three hours.”

“I bet you have to get here early for seats or something,” Derek suggests.

They walk up to the entrance and see that most people already have tickets. Derek notices a sign that says “sold out” and pats Stiles on the shoulder. He turns Stiles to face the sign.

“Sorry, bud. Looks like we should have pre-ordered the tickets.”

Stiles shrugs. “Well, at least we got to see the place. We can always come back another time.”

“Well, what are we going to do then?” Isaac asks.

Scott scratches his head and avoids eye contact with everyone. “Well, I guess we could go to Disneyland. I mean, we have the tickets and everything.”

“What?” Derek and Isaac ask together.

“I’m game!” Stiles says, giving Derek a look that Scott nor Isaac can see.

Derek sighs as he realizes Stiles isn’t going to take no for an answer. “We do have the free tickets. May as well not let them go to waste.”

Derek watches as Scott stares at Isaac, who caves. “Oh, fine. We can go, but we’re going to Fantasyland so we can ride It’s a Small World.”

Derek, Scott, and Stiles all laugh.

***

As the end of the night approaches, Derek has to admit that he’s had a good time at Fantasyland. Stiles really seemed to enjoy a lot of the attractions, and it was nice to see Isaac relaxing. Derek would wager that Isaac’s aversion to the park has something to do with his dad, but he knows not to bring it up. The park is closing soon, and Derek is ready to leave. That is, until Stiles sidetracks him.

“I want some funnel cake, or something to snack on,” Stiles says.

Derek chuckles. “So, go get something.”

“Well, I’m not going to go all by myself,” Stiles answers, matter-of-factly.

“I kind of wanted one of those hand-shaken lemonade things,” Scott says.

“Problem solved,” Isaac declares. “You two can go together.”

“Well,” Stiles starts. “The funnel cakes are down that way, and the lemon things are up that way.” 

Derek catches the look that Stiles throws his way. He sighs. “Isaac, it’s fine. I’ll go with Stiles; you go with Scott. We’ll meet back at my car in 30 minutes.”

“Ok,” Isaac agrees, a little too quickly.

Derek watches as Scott and Isaac walk off together. Isaac has been acting strange lately. It bothers Derek that he can’t figure out what’s going on. His thoughts are interrupted when Stiles grabs his hand.

“See, we can be alone for a little while now!” Stiles says, excitedly.

Derek looks over his shoulder, but can’t see Isaac or Scott anymore. “Oh, so you don’t really want a funnel cake. This was just a clever ruse to disturb some of the parents,” Derek adds as he notices a couple turning their children away from Stiles and him. 

Even though Stiles notices the couple, too, he ignores them. “I DO really want a funnel cake, but I would also like to watch the fireworks with you; they’re about to start.”

Derek can’t help the smile that spreads over his face. It’s so like Stiles to think of these small moments they can share. They buy a funnel cake from a stand and find a place to watch the fireworks. There’s a large crowd, so they basically just stand in the middle of the walkway. 

Derek stands behind Stiles and slides his arms around Stiles’ waist, resting his chin on Stiles shoulder. “I love you,” Derek whispers.

“I love you, too,” Stiles responds.

Stiles finishes the funnel cake before the fireworks start. By the time the fireworks start, Stiles is leaning backwards into Derek, and placing his arms on top of Derek’s. This is how they watch the fireworks. Every now and then, Derek squeezes Stiles a little tighter. As the finale fades into the sky, Derek turns Stiles to face him, and they share a deep, passionate kiss. 

Somewhere inside of Derek, a battle has just been lost. He feels certain walls that he’s created crumbling. He hadn’t even been aware that he’d been fighting this decision all day. Now, in this tender moment, it all crashes in on him.

Derek pulls away, slightly. “You win.”

“I didn’t know we were in a contest, but thanks. You’re a good kisser, too, though.”

Derek recognizes the joke, but doesn’t laugh. He just stares intently into Stiles’ eyes. “We said one of us would have to budge. One of use would have to change our stance. Well, you win. Stiles, I can’t stand you being unhappy. I’ll do it.”

Stiles is clearly blindsided by Derek’s change of heart. “Really?” he asks, confused. “You’ll really do this for me?”

“Stiles, I would do anything for you. You’re sure this is what you want, though? There’s no turning back,” Derek reminds him.

Stiles nods his head. “I’m sure, Derek.”

“Tonight, then. When we get back to the room, I’ll do it.”

Stiles leans back in for another kiss. They walk back to Derek’s car and meet up with Scott and Isaac. Both are smiling widely as Derek and Stiles walk up to them. Derek is too preoccupied to ask about it, though.

The drive back to the hotel is a quiet one. No one is talking, and the radio is barely playing. Everyone seems content, though. When they reach their hotel room, everyone heads to bed quickly. Soon, Derek and Stiles are alone in their room again.

“So, how’s this work exactly?” Stiles asks.

“It’s fairly self-explanatory, actually,” Derek answers. “It’s going to hurt no matter where I bite you, but the scar will heal.”

“In your experience, is there like a…least painful spot to bite?”

“I’d say somewhere with a lot of fatty tissue, but that would be an issue for you. I have an idea, though.”

“Ok,” Stiles replies. “I trust you.”

“I know,” Derek says. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Derek kisses Stiles. As he does so, he unbuttons Stiles’ shirt. When the shirt is fully open, Derek slowly slides it off of his shoulders and down his arms. It falls quietly to the floor. Derek begins working on the button of Stiles’ jeans, and works down the zipper. He pushes Stiles onto the bed, and removes Stiles’ shoes and socks. In a swift motion, Derek removes Stiles jeans. 

Derek positions himself between Stiles legs and leans over Stiles. He presses his body down against Stiles’ and resumes kissing him. Softly, and without piercing skin, Derek bites Stiles’ bottom lip and pulls it away from his mouth. Stiles moans beneath him. Derek nibbles Stiles’ jaw line and begins kissing down his torso. Derek’s hands are firmly placed on the waistband of Stiles’ briefs as he makes his way closer to Stiles’ growing erection. Derek skips the bulge and kisses the inside of Stiles’ thigh. He plants on line of kisses until he is on Stiles’ outer-thigh. Here, he slides a hand up to cover Stiles’ mouth. He bares his teeth, and bites down.

Stiles grunts in agony against Derek’s hand. Derek becomes sick to his stomach at the noise. He pulls away from Stiles’ thigh and looks over the bite. It looks to be deep enough. Derek removes his own shirt and ties it around Stiles’ leg to stop the bleeding. He frees Stiles’ mouth and moves up to kiss him.

“I’m so sorry,” Derek confesses. “I know it hurts.”

“I thought it would hurt a lot more,” Stiles says, honestly. “It was a good way to do it.” Derek shrugs before Stiles asks, “When will we know if it takes?”

“We’ll know by morning,” Derek answers. 

“Ok,” Stiles says. “I think I’m going to go to sleep, then. It’ll help me ignore the pain.” He scoots away toward the opposite side of the bed.

Derek reaches out and stops him. “Not tonight,” he says, pulling Stiles into his arms. “I don’t care if they walk in or not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to toss out a thank you to all of you for reading this. You can leave comments; I don't bite...and, I reply to every comment!


	5. The Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek wakes up and realizes Stiles is not ok. He seeks out the only help he knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the Sanctuary crossover really comes into play. I give a small explanation of Dr. Magnus and the Sanctuary network in the fic for those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, but you may want to check out the quick summary on Wikipedia if you want a fuller understanding!

It takes less than a second for Derek to realize that something is wrong with Stiles. Derek isn’t fully awake, but he can feel that Stiles is far too warm against him. His ears tell him that Stiles’ heartbeat is weak and that his breathing is labored. The realization startles him awake. He climbs out of bed and starts pacing beside it. His brain searches for any information he has on someone surviving after the bite doesn’t take; the results aren’t promising.

“Fuck. Oh, fuck,” Derek mutters to himself. “God. Fuck. No. No. No.” Derek sounds more crazed with each utterance.

Isaac bursts into the room half-dressed and clearly shocked. “What’s going on?”

“No. No. No. Fuck,” Derek keeps muttering, hitting his forehead with his palm in time with each word.

Isaac grabs Derek’s wrists tightly and stares him down. “Derek, stop. Tell me what happened.”

Derek struggles to find the right words. He doesn’t even know where to start. How much does he reveal? “Stiles is…I gave…he’s not.”

“Derek, calm down. You’re not making any sense,” Isaac says.

Scott comes into the room, eyebrows raised. “You guys are going to wake up poor Stiles. What’s the problem?”

“I don’t know, Scott. Derek is freaking out about something,” Isaac tells him. “He won’t tell me what it is.”

“It’s Stiles,” Derek manages. “It’s…fuck…it’s Stiles.”

“What about Stiles, Derek?” Scott asks. “You’ve got to give us something.”

Derek takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He can’t look at Scott and say the words. “Last night, I…he’d been pestering me about it for a long time…I kept saying no, but last night I said yes,” Derek rambles. He finally opens his eyes and faces Scott. “God, Scott. I’m so sorry. I bit Stiles last night…and…and…it didn’t take. His body is feverish and feeble. It didn’t take. It just…fuck…it didn’t take.” It doesn’t sound any better no matter how many times he says it.

“No, no. That’s not…why would you do that?” Scott asks.

“I don’t know. He was just so damned persistent. I…” Derek shrugs.

Derek isn’t sure what he expected out of Scott and Isaac, but it definitely wasn’t a punch to the face. He didn’t stop Scott, though. In fact, it almost helps. The pain seems like a fair price to pay. Even as the second punch strikes across Derek’s temple, he doesn’t move to stop it.

“That’s enough, Scott,” Isaac shouts, grabbing Scott and pulling him away from Derek.

“God, Derek. How could you be so stupid?” Scott screams. 

“I don’t know. I don’t know. Fuck, Scott,” Derek starts. “You think I wanted this to happen?”

“Guys, stop!” Isaac insists. “Listen, it’s done. There’s nothing we can do to change it.” Turning to Derek, he asks, “Does he have any chance of making it?”

Derek’s head drops again. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of someone surviving a bite that didn’t take.”

“And, you still bit him,” Scott pushes.

“Scott, you’re not helping,” Isaac scolds him. “Derek, call Deaton.”

Derek grabs his phone and starts dialing quickly. Deaton answers and Derek explains that he bit Stiles. He also tells him about the symptoms he’s noticed. Derek is frustrated because all Deaton does is make small sounds of acknowledgement. It doesn’t help that Scott and Isaac are staring at him the whole time.

“Look, is there any way to save him or not? Does he have a chance?” Derek asks.

Derek hears an exhale on the other side. “Derek, I’ve never heard of anyone surviving this. You know the lore as well as I do on this point. Either the bite takes, or you die.”

“I can’t accept that,” Derek says.

“Then, unfortunately, you’re on your own here,” Deaton responds. “I truly am sorry.”

Derek hangs up the phone and just shakes his head at Scott and Isaac.

“So, there’s nothing we can do?” Isaac asks.

“There’s nothing he can do,” Derek answers. Isaac gives him a questioning look. “Deaton knows about werewolf lore, and a little bit about other strange creatures. However, he’s no expert. We’re actually not too far away from a true expert, though. She only lives about an hour and a half away in Old City.”

“She?” Scott asks.

“Dr. Helen Magnus,” Derek answers. “She’s the world’s leading specialist in teratology. She runs a global network dedicated to protecting, discovering, and documenting abnormalities in physiological development. My great-grandfather and she were friends. My father always told us to contact her in the direst of emergencies. I would say this qualifies. If anyone can save Stiles, it will be her.”

“We’re going to trust some old lady we’ve never met?” Scott asks.

“I don’t see that we have any other options,” Isaac admits.

“I’ve met her. We’re going,” Derek announces, decisively.

***

“Why are we going down into a sewer?” Scott asks.

“A few years ago, she got into a spot of trouble with the government, and had to move to a better hidden base,” Derek explains.

“Ah, so we’re relying on a fugitive. Great!” Scott says, sarcastically.

It’s not easy making his way through the sewers carrying Stiles, but Derek pushes onward. After a while, he comes to the access panel that should be the entrance to the underground Sanctuary, but he realizes he doesn’t really know how to make it open. He opens the case and stares at the buttons, but can’t make heads or tails of it. 

“Shit,” Derek exclaims. “I don’t remember how to get in.”

“What?” Scott asks. “What are we supposed to do now? We can’ just let Stiles die.”

“I know, I know. I’ll think of something,” Derek promises.

They are interrupted by a disembodied female voice with a heavy, Victorian-era British accent. “Do my eyes deceive me, or is that an adult Derek Hale that I see?”

“Dr. Magnus?” Derek asks.

“Who else would it be?” Dr. Magnus inquires as the wall slides open revealing a tall woman who seems to be in her late thirties with long, dark hair. “I have not laid eyes upon you in nearly 15 years. You look slightly different,” she adds with a soft smile.

“Well, you haven’t aged a day,” Derek responds, honestly. He’s still in awe of her longevity.

“I’ve actually lived another lifetime since we last saw each other, but that’s a story for a different day,” she digresses. “If I heard your friend correctly, and if the body dangling over your shoulder is any indication, then you require my assistance.”

“Actually, I think we’re here for your mother or grandmother. She was friends with Derek’s great-grandfather,” Scott corrects her. “We need her help with a friend of ours.”

“No, Scott,” Derek says. “This is the same Dr. Helen Magnus.”

The looks that spread across Scott and Isaac’s faces make Derek and Dr. Magnus erupt with laughter.

“I’m sorry,” Isaac starts, “but that would make you like…”

“Nearly three hundred years old,” Dr. Magnus answers.

“That’s impossible,” Scott answers.

“Which is what some people would say about your own abnormality, my extremely young lycanthrope,” responds, knowingly. “Let’s move out of this doorway, shall we?”

The friends follow Dr. Magnus into the hidden expanse and are in awe of the sight before them. They may as well have stepped back onto the surface. Everything is green, and one would think there is a sun hidden somewhere above. Soon, they are walking in the front door of the main building.

“Welcome to the Sanctuary, gentlemen. There isn’t a more advanced center for abnormals, or even a regular hospital, in the world. This particular base was developed and designed over the last 113 years of my life,” Dr. Magnus explains. “We’re a little short staffed today, as Dr. Zimmerman and Henry are out on a mission. However, that won’t prevent me from doing the best I can to help you.”

Derek indicates toward Stiles, “Is there somewhere we can put him to rest?”

“Oh, of course, Derek,” Dr. Magnus answers. “Forgive my carelessness.”

She leads them to an elevator that takes them upstairs to what looks like a brand new hospital. Derek places Stiles carefully onto one of the hospital beds. Seeing Stiles this way turns his stomach. Dr. Magnus begins attaching cables and equipment to Stiles as Derek talks.

“Stiles has been asking me, in secret, for two years to bite him,” Derek explains. “I’ve always said no because I know the risks. However, he’s quite persistent. Last night, I caved and bit him. He knew the risks. When I woke up this morning, I recognized the signs that the bite didn’t take. I called Deaton and he said no one ever survives a failed bite.”

“Oh, good old, Dr. Deaton,” Dr. Magnus says with a smile. “For a young man, he’s quite knowledgeable about your brand of werewolf. However, there are many areas in which he is rather inexperienced.”

“So, it’s possible that Stiles could survive this?” Scott asks.

“Well, I cannot promise you what will happen to Stiles. In over 250 years of studying abnormals, I have only ever seen one person survive a failed bite from your kind…if you can even call it that. He eventually turned, even though all signs indicated he would die. In my experience, if it’s happened once, then it’s actually happened many more times. It’s likely quite rare, though,” Dr. Magnus adds.

Isaac steps up and actually raises his hand, because being around Dr. Magnus is a lot like being in school. She’s always teaching. She nods her head at Isaac and he speaks. “You keep saying things like ‘your brand of werewolf’ and ‘your kind’. Why don’t you just say werewolf?”

“Ah. A good question,” Dr. Magnus acknowledges. “You see, there are many species that could be considered ‘werewolves’. I classify them all under the family ‘lycanthropae’. Many abnormals fit the classification. Your specific classification is ‘lycanthropae dynam’, which basically means that your wolf shape is dictated by your personal strength. You’re allergic to wolf’s bane. My Henry is a highly-accelerated protean, or a HAP. They take full form at will; wolf’s bane has no effect on them. 

Other genera and species only change during the full moon. Some are reactive to silver. Some take the full shape of a wolf. Others are perpetually stuck between a mixture of human and wolf. Whereas many of the lycanthropae family turn their victims through biting, others turn humans through scratches, heredity, or blood swapping.”

“Wow!” Isaac and Scott mumble in awe together.

“You said someone has survived this though,” Derek redirects. “What was different about that person?”

“I never found out the specifics of his personal success. If he were still alive, you could ask him yourself, Derek,” Dr. Magnus asserts.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“How do you think I met your great-grandfather?” Dr. Magnus asks. “He was bitten outside the Old City Sanctuary during its first year of operation. He was one of my first patients there.”

Derek had no idea. “So, that’s where it all started for my family?”

“As far as I know, yes,” Dr. Magnus answers. “All I can tell you today is that Stiles could still pull through this. I still have to say he’ll either die or change, though. There’s no way for him to come out of this as human.”

“I can accept that,” Derek says. “It’s what he wants anyways. I just know we won’t be able to handle it if he doesn’t make it.”

“I’m sorry, Derek. There’s nothing I can do for Stiles. He’ll have to beat this on his own,” Dr. Magnus tells him.

“Thanks, Helen,” Derek responds.

A few seconds pass and Dr. Magnus shrugs her shoulders. “I’m going to give him some sedatives and some medication to lower his immune response. If anything would help him, stopping him from fighting the infection is the best I can come up with.”

“I trust you completely,” Derek says. “You do whatever you think will work.”

“This isn’t much more than a wild guess, Derek,” Dr. Magnus admits.

“From you, that’s worth more than a guarantee from any other doctor,” Derek suggests.

“That’s probably true,” she admits. “In the meantime, I would be delighted to share this home with you for a while. I have already sent a car for your things at the Disneyland Hotel. They’ll be here shortly.”

“How did you know we were there?” Scott asks.

“When abnormals come into this city, I make it my business to know what they’re up to,” she explains. “As soon as I realized that Derek was with you all, I knew you weren’t any trouble. Nonetheless, I knew where you were staying. The safety of abnormals and humans in this city is of paramount concern. I will not apologize for being vigilant, but I can promise you privacy while you’re here.”

“We understand,” Isaac says.

***

Five hours later, Derek is sitting alone beside Stiles’ hospital bed. Stiles’ condition hasn’t deteriorated, but there hasn’t been any improvement either. Derek’s elbows are on his knees, and his hands cradle his head. His legs bounce restlessly with anxiety. 

Derek feels a comforting hand grip his shoulder. While the motion is kind and soft, it threatens to bring Derek to tears; he’s held them back too long. Isaac’s voice permeates his thoughts. “Don’t beat yourself up, Derek. Even Scott would have caved to Stiles eventually, that’s just the guy he is.”

“How can I not? I did this to him, Isaac; it’s my fault,” Derek admits. “If he dies, I’ll have killed the only…Isaac, I love him,” Derek confesses. “I can’t lose him.” The levy finally breaks and tears stream down Derek’s face. His body contorts slightly as he cries, and his breathing becomes labored.

“Derek, we all love him,” Isaac says, missing the point. “We’re not going to lose him.”

Derek composes himself. “No, Isaac. I love him. I’m in love with him.” Derek watches as comprehension dawns with a smile on Isaac’s face. “Look, I know you’re going to feel lied to, but we’ve been dating for two years. He has a drawer at my apartment. Isaac, he’s everything to me. He saved me.

You don’t know this, but my whole life, I’ve had nightmares of the fire. I mean, I was an adult who couldn’t sleep at night because my nightmares were too vivid. Then, Stiles happened. Every night we’re together, I sleep soundlessly. He’s my rock, my center. He forces me to be a better person, and he holds me accountable for my decisions. I can’t lose him.”

Derek catches Isaac wiping a tear from his eye. “That’s powerful stuff, man,” Isaac admits. “I don’t feel lied to, though; I get it. The friend I slept with…the one in a relationship…it’s Scott.”

Well, that makes a lot of sense, Derek thinks. Their cheesy smiles around each other. The cryptic use of “person” and “friend” when Isaac talked about that night. Scott breaking up with Allison and not telling Stiles why. Isaac being able to calm Scott down this morning. It all makes so much sense now.

“Really?” Derek asks. “I thought you’d brought the waitress home last night.”

Isaac shakes his head. “Nope. Scott told me that he and Allison broke up, and I couldn’t resist.”

“Wow. Good for you guys,” Derek says. “I hope it works out!”

“Thanks.” Then, Isaac offers, “Stiles is strong. If anyone can pull out of this, it’s him.”

The momentary escape vanishes and the pain sinks back in. Derek shrugs. “I hope so. God, Isaac. I really hope so.”


	6. To the Brink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles' condition worsens. Dr. Magnus tries to save him.

Derek paces beside Stiles’ bedside. His facial hair is too prominent, and his hair is fully unkempt. His eyes are the epitome of exhaustion and concern. Beside him, Dr. Magnus stands calm and collected as she tries to convince Derek to take a break for a few hours.

“Derek, you have yet to leave his side,” she starts. “I know you care deeply for him, but there is nothing you can do for him now. You need to take care of yourself.”

“It’s been three days, Helen,” Derek reminds her. “He isn’t doing any better. His vitals have been fluctuating all day. Things are getting worse, aren’t they?”

“You know I cannot answer that with even a modicum of certainty, Derek. However, I would assume his vitals are fluctuating because his body is fighting too hard against the bite. It is not a promising sign.”

Derek closes his eyes, unable to shed any more tears. “Then, I won’t leave him alone.”

“You don’t have to leave him alone,” Dr. Magnus assures him. “One of your friends would happily sit with him for a few hours. We have a gym here and a large training area. Go do something…doctor’s orders.”

The idea of leaving Stiles is terrifying to Derek. Anything could happen while he’s gone. Stiles wouldn’t want him sitting around here pining, though. Stiles would keep a positive attitude about everything. Scott is basically Stiles’ brother. He may even want some alone time with Stiles.

“I guess a run would feel good and help take my mind off of things,” Derek admits. “I’ll see if Scott will sit with Stiles for a while. Would you stay here with him until Scott gets here?”

“Of course,” Dr. Magnus answers. “I may just run a few tests anyway. Maybe I’ll learn something new.”

Derek leaves to find Scott. He walks down one of the corridors of guest rooms and really starts to recognize how large the Sanctuary is. There must be 20 rooms down this hallway alone. As he reaches the end of the hallway, he hears some muffled laughter from a room on the right. The door is open, so Derek walks in. He is not prepared for the scene he walks in on.

Isaac and Scott are lying beside each other on the bed. Isaac is tickling Scott, who is flailing like an insane monkey. His effort to stay quiet isn’t strong enough and his laughter keeps getting louder. Each new flail and noise makes Isaac tickle Scott even harder. Isaac can’t stop himself from laughing either. Even Derek can’t help the smile that spreads across his face as he watches them. They remind him of Stiles’ and his own relationship.

Isaac finally stops tickling Scott and pulls him in close for a kiss. Derek clears his throat to interrupt them. They both jump about fifteen feet into the air and laugh even harder than they were before. They separate away from each other a little and compose themselves.

“Oh. Hey, Derek,” Isaac says, looking at the floor, smirking.

“Um, we were just…uh,” Scott stammers for an explanation.

Isaac rests a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “Scott, it’s ok; he knows.”

“You know?” Scott asks.

“I know,” Derek answers. Then, looking at Isaac, Derek asks, “Does he know?”

“Do I know what?” Scott wants to know. Isaac shakes his head.

“Scott, don’t hold it against Stiles that he never told you, but Stiles and I have been together for two years,” Derek admits.

“Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?” Scott asks.

“Huh?” Derek and Isaac respond.

“You guys are together all of the time. He stays over almost every night, and the couch is never unkempt,” Scott explains. “You’re far too protective of him. Besides, he’s my best friend; I knew how he felt even if he didn’t tell me.”

Derek isn’t too surprised that Scott picked up on so much. Scott has always been more perceptive than everyone gives him credit for. He’s a quiet observer. Derek can see Stiles’ mouth dropping to the floor, though. He chuckles.

“You’re a good friend, Scott,” Derek says. “Look, I’m on orders from Dr. Magnus to take a break, but I don’t want to leave Stiles alone. Would you sit with him for a while?”

“I’d be happy to man,” Scott answers. “Why don’t you spend some time with Isaac? He’s worried about you,” Scott adds as he walks out the door.

Derek raises his eyebrow at Isaac.

“What? Just because I didn’t know you and Stiles were together doesn’t mean I don’t know you,” Isaac asserts. “I can see how hard this is for you. I see your struggle. I just want you to know that you don’t have to face all of this alone. You’re the closest thing I have to family, and I want to be there for you.”

Derek should really stop underestimating his friends. “I appreciate that, I really do. The best thing you can do for me right now, though, is to go on a run with me.”

Isaac nods. “Ok. Yeah, ok. They have a great gym here.”

“Do you think we could just run around the grounds?” Derek asks.

“Sure. Whatever you want to do works for me,” Isaac answers.

***

Another day passes. There’s no change. Two more. No change. Two more. Still no change. On the sixth day, however, Derek’s worst fears come to fruition. Derek and Isaac return from a run around the Sanctuary and Derek heads straight to Stiles’ hospital bed. 

“Hey, Stiles,” Derek says. “I’m back from my run with Isaac. They’re the only thing getting me through this right now. I…I really wish you’d wake up. I need you to beat this.” Derek looks Stiles over. He looks so peaceful for someone going through so much inner struggle. He could be sleeping. After a few moments, he adds, “I’m going to go shower, now. I’ll be back soon, though. I love you.”

Derek kisses Stiles on the forehead and heads for the elevator. As he reaches for the button, his ears are bombarded by beeps and clicks from Stiles’ monitors. Derek rushes back to Stiles’ bedside and watches as his vitals all drop. The line that Derek recognizes as the cardiac monitor is flat. He starts to panic.

The elevator door opens and Dr. Magnus rushes to the hospital bed. She grabs a needle and injects Stiles full of something. The next few seconds happen so fast that Derek doesn’t catch everything, but he knows that Stiles gown is ripped open and he’s being shocked by the defibrillator. Derek stops breathing until he hears the heartbeat monitor beeping again. He crumbles in the chair next to the bed, clinging to Stiles hand.

“Derek, he is not winning this battle,” Dr. Magnus informs him.

Derek’s heart hits his stomach. “I just wish it could be me; I’d have a fighting chance.”

“What do you mean?” Dr. Magnus asks. 

“It’s just what you told me about my great-grandfather,” Derek explains. “Something in his blood helped him transition through a bad bite and survive. I probably have the same…mutation…in mine.”

“Derek, you are brilliant,” Dr. Magnus exclaims. “I cannot believe I did not think of it sooner.”

Derek is confused. Before he can ask how he helped, Dr. Magnus is drawing his blood and rushing off to the lab at the end of the hospital ward. Derek follows.

“What’s going on, Helen?” Derek asks.

“If I can isolate the correct root of your mutation, I may be able to pass it on to Stiles through a modified transfusion,” Dr. Magnus explains. “It’s a long shot, but it may just work.”

“Won’t that take a while to analyze?” Derek inquires.

“In a normal lab? Yes. You have to remember that this Sanctuary is a culmination of the greatest scientific minds that have ever lived. My father and I have conducted more research on genes, mutations, and abnormalities than any other scientist, living or dead.” She grips Derek on the shoulder and adds, “this is our best shot, Derek. Go get your friends; you should all spend some time with Stiles in case this doesn’t work.”

***

By the next morning, Dr. Magnus creates a serum that should help Stiles’ body accept a transfusion from Derek and copy the mutation into his DNA. Scott and Isaac are there with Derek as she draws a little more blood than she probably should. 

“Are you sure this is safe?” Scott asks.

“Derek may be a little lightheaded for a few days, but I assure you there will be no lasting damage,” Dr. Magnus guarantees.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to save Stiles,” Derek declares. “I can take a little blood loss, Scott.”

Dr. Magnus injects Stiles with the serum. She hooks up an IV and connects it to one of the bags of blood she just took from Derek. Double-checking the vitals, she announces to the group, “Well, we will not know anything until morning. I will monitor him constantly through the night for any sign that he is rejecting the transfusion. You all should rest.”

“I won’t leave him,” Derek vows.

“You can sleep on your usual hospital bed, then,” Dr. Magnus agrees, smiling.

“We’d like to stay, too,” Isaac admits.

“He’s like my brother,” Scott says.

“It is a good thing I do not have many patients, then,” Dr. Magnus points out. “There are plenty of hospital beds; I will not stop you from staying with your friend.”

***

In the morning, Dr. Magnus wakes Derek, Isaac, and Scott. Derek notices that Stiles is still hooked up to the machines and transfusion bag. He can’t see any difference in Stiles’ vitals.

“Did it work?” he asks.

“I’m sorry, Derek,” Dr. Magnus starts, “but, it did not. His body is accepting the transfusion, but the mutation is not catching.”

Derek drops his head. He nods slowly. He hears Scott start crying as the realization sinks in. Isaac pulls them both into an embrace, trying to comfort them. Scott speaks up.

“I know Stiles wanted the bite, Derek, so don’t hate me for this, please,” Scott says. He turns to Dr. Magnus and offers an idea. “We have this friend, Lydia. She is completely immune to our bite. She was bitten by Derek’s uncle, Peter, and is still human. Couldn’t you do a similar transfusion with her genes and make Stiles immune? I mean, I know he would say human, but he’d be alive.”

It actually sounds like a good alternative to Derek and Isaac. In fact, Derek wishes they had thought of it sooner. They turn to face Dr. Magnus for an answer.

“This immunity is not unheard of,” Dr. Magnus explains. “Had we decided to administer such a transfusion before the bite, it probably would have worked. However, there’s a difference in being immune to the bite and suffering a bad bite. When a body is immune, the foreign cells simply cannot change the host’s natural genes. They try and fail, but over time the foreign cells are flushed out of the body. It is as if Lydia’s cells each have an impenetrable shield against the werewolf cells.

This is not the case with a bad bite. The foreign cells are launching an attack on Stiles’ body, which is now launching a costly counterstrike. Transfusing an immunity now would be similar to giving Stiles a bulletproof vest after he has already been shot. It would help protect from future assaults, but would be insufficient in dealing with the damage that already exists.”

“So, there’s truly no hope, then?” Derek asks, defeated.

“As long as Stiles is alive, there is hope,” Dr. Magnus tells him. “Gentlemen, I have one last option. It is a long shot among long shots.”

“We understand,” Derek says. “What can you do?”

“I can swallow my pride and call in help,” Dr. Magnus confesses. “There’s a particularly arrogant and obnoxious abnormal who might be able to help us. If you ever tell him what I am about to say, I will deny it: he is one of the smartest people I have ever met and if he cannot help Stiles, no one can.”

“Who is it?” Isaac asks.

“Dr. Nikola Tesla.”


	7. Last Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Tesla tries to help Stiles.

Derek paces around the foyer as he waits for Dr. Tesla to arrive. Scott and Isaac are seated in chairs by the door. Dr. Magnus stands almost too still with her arms crossed in front of her body. The nervous anticipation in the room is palpable and prevalent.

“How exactly is this Dr. Tesla going to be able to help Stiles?” Derek asks.

“Tesla is a rather powerful abnormal who is one of The Five, my fellowship of researchers at Oxford in the 19th Century,” Dr. Magnus explains. “His powers increased his already considerable intelligence, not to mention his ego, and he’s spent nearly a century and a half furthering his knowledge base.”

“What kind of abnormal is he?” Scott asks.

“The earliest human civilizations referred to his people as the Akhkharu,” she answers.

“Excuse me?” Scott recoils. “Did you just cough?”

Derek drops his head, embarrassed by Scott’s rudeness. Dr. Magnus just laughs. “No, I did not. You would probably recognize him much more by the name Sanguine vampiris.”

“He’s a vampire?” Isaac questions.

“He can’t be,” Scott interjects. “We’ve been told that vampires do not exist.”

“That is technically true,” Dr. Magnus answers. “Vampires, plural, do not exist. However, Dr. Tesla, a singular vampire, does exist.” Noting the confusion among the werewolves’ faces, she adds, “Thousands of years ago, vampires existed. They enslaved humanity and were cruel rulers. However, they heralded in the Golden Age. After centuries of torturous rule, humans fought back. This charge was largely led by the Catholic Church. The vampires were eventually defeated and wiped out. Then, the Dark Ages followed.

Skip to the 19th Century, my fellows and I acquired a vile of untainted vampire blood. We all injected ourselves with the blood and became abnormals. I developed immeasurable longevity. James Watson grew immensely intelligent. John Druitt developed the ability to teleport and also gained some longevity. Nigel Griffin was able to make himself invisible. Then, there was Nikola. Unknown to any of us, one of his ancestors was a vampire. The source blood activated dormant vampire genes and he became a vampire. He is the last of his species, as far as we know.”

“The last and greatest,” a voice says, echoed by the slamming of a large door. “Ah, Helen. Telling my biography again, are you?”

“Nikola,” Dr. Magnus acknowledges. “Thank you for coming.”

“I receive a call from the one and only Dr. Helen Magnus and am told there is a problem that not even she can solve. How could I resist?” Tesla responds, almost mockingly.

Scott turns to Isaac. “He has the same accent she does.”

“Well, this one sure is observant,” Tesla accuses.

“Nikola,” Dr. Magnus starts, “play nice.”

“Now, where is the fun in that?” he asks.

Derek steps forward and faces the vampire. “Please, Dr. Tesla, Helen has called you here as a favor to me. I need your help.”

“I could smell your mutation when I walked in,” Tesla jests. “Clearly, you are not the troubled party. Where is the resilient one?”

“Derek, I have already explained Stiles’ status to Nikola,” Dr. Magnus explains. “We should take him to the laboratory now.”

After Derek nods, Dr. Magnus leads them all to the elevator once again. Dr. Magnus and Tesla maintain small talk on the short elevator ride, and the werewolves are left feeling well out of place. Derek couldn’t possibly be more thankful when the elevator door opens. He rushes to Stiles’ side and grabs his hand.

“We’ve brought someone who might be able to help you,” Derek tells Stiles.

Dr. Tesla rolls his eyes. “The child actually thinks his ‘special friend’ can hear him.” Everyone looks at him scathingly. “What? I cannot say ‘lover’; it seems too weird.” Everyone continues to stare. “Seriously, I could not possibly care less if they are both men. Helen’s been with women, and some of my favorite conquests have been men.”

Helen grabs Tesla by the arm and drags him to the other side of the room. She whispers to him, but Derek can still make out what she says. “Nikola, Derek is near his breaking point. Talking to Stiles helps him maintain his peace of mind. You will not make a mockery of him in my Sanctuary. Am I understood?”

“You do know he can probably hear us from over there,” Tesla points out. Helen stares at him waiting for an answer. “Oh, fine. I will behave.”

As they approach, Nikola asks about the serum. “I need to know exactly what happened when you administered the serum.”

“To be honest, very little happened,” Dr. Magnus admits. “Derek and Stiles have two different blood types. The serum did its job and allowed Stiles’ body to accept the blood, but for some reason, Derek’s mutation was not adapted into Stiles’ genome.”

“So, it did half of the job, but not the half you needed,” Tesla states flatly. “Hmmm. That is perplexing. Helen, do you have any wine?”

“I don’t think this is the time for drinking, Dr. Tesla,” Derek suggests.

“Do the children really have to be here?” Tesla asks. Helen gives him a stern look, reminding him to behave. “Oh, right.” Turning to Derek, he says, “I’m a vampire. Alcohol does nothing to alter my mental status. I think better when I am enjoying a nicely aged wine.”

Helen is already handing Tesla a large glass by the end of his explanation. He takes a sip and smiles, closing his eyes. He takes another small sip. 

“Clearly, something in Stiles’ genetic makeup is hardwired against becoming a werewolf. Otherwise, the transfusion trick would have worked.” Tesla turns to Helen, “Ingenious by the way.”

“Actually, that was Derek’s idea,” Dr. Magnus admits.

“Hmmm,” Tesla responds, clearly in disbelief. “Regardless, we are clearly missing a puzzle piece. How many species of abnormals would be able to fight off a bite from a werewolf?” he asks Dr. Magnus.

“Including vampires, maybe 20,” she answers. Before Tesla can respond, she adds, “He does not have any abnormal genes. I have already checked. Twice.”

“It was a thought,” Tesla answers. “It does not make sense, then. Non-mutated human immune systems do not have the ability to fight off such a bite. The werewolf virus is simply too powerful.” Tesla paces around the word for a few moments. “If Stiles is purely human as you say he is, Helen, then the problem must lie within the werewolf. Something must be affecting his bite.”

“Excuse me?” Derek asks.

“Sorry, young one, but it is the only possible explanation,” Tesla says, matter-of-factly.

“Helen?” Derek questions.

Her eyes flick back and forth as she thinks. “Actually, he may not be wrong, Derek. I have not tested the werewolf cells, only Stiles’ white blood cells and DNA. It cannot hurt to give you a checkup just in case.”

“I guess not,” Derek agrees.

Helen gets to work quickly. She takes Derek’s temperature and checks his blood pressure. Grabbing a stethoscope, she listens to Derek’s heart and lungs. Dr. Magnus also draws a bit more of Derek’s blood. Her face does not change at all during the examination.

“It will take nearly an hour for all of the tests I would like to run on your blood,” Dr. Magnus says. “You should wait with Stiles while Nikola and I are working.”

***

Scott and Isaac are lying in one of the hospital beds near Stiles. Derek sits in there chair, still grasping Stiles’ hand. His other hand rests on the side of Stiles face. Derek’s thumb lightly traces Stiles’ hairline.

“Derek,” Helen calls softly, startling him, Scott, and Isaac. “I have some good news and some bad news.”

“Ok,” Derek says.

“The first piece of bad news is that there is a problem with your bite,” Dr. Magnus tells him. “You have something similar to werewolf pneumonia. The good news is that your body will eventually fight off the infection and you will be fine. However, the cells that transferred over during the bite were also infected with the pneumonia. So, they were too weak to change Stiles’ genes. The pneumonia was not too weak, though. It is infecting Stiles. 

His body is fighting the pneumonia. Human immune systems are not strong enough to defeat this strain of pneumonia. We would have seen more of the symptoms if I had not sedated Stiles. His body is close to losing the battle.”

“I don’t feel sick, though,” Derek responds.

“Normally, you would only feel fatigue, because your immune system is greater than that of a humans. If you are honest with yourself, I think you will admit that you have felt extremely fatigued lately. You probably assumed it was the grieving and worrying,” Dr. Magnus explains.

It is true. Derek has felt exhausted. Why shouldn’t he, though? He sits by Stiles’ bedside most of the day, not knowing if it will be the last time he hears Stiles’ heartbeat. When he runs with Isaac, all he can think about is getting back to Stiles. When he tries to sleep, he wakes every half hour just to make sure Stiles is breathing. Could he be sick on top of all of this and not know? He guesses it is a possibility.

“Can you cure him?” Derek asks.

“If he were at a normal hospital, no,” Helen admits. “I do believe Nikola and I can come up with a cure, though. I just hope there is enough time.”

As she says this, Dr. Tesla steps out of the lab and joins Derek and Helen. “I told you we could heal him right now if you would just let me give him some of my blood.”

“Would that work?” Derek wants to know.

“Yes,” Dr. Tesla answers as Dr. Magnus says, “Maybe.”

Dr. Magnus sighs. “Vampire blood would definitely kill off the pneumonia, but there is no predicting what else would happen to Stiles. The blood could give him some abnormal power like my longevity, but it could just as easily kill him. Also, it would guarantee that Stiles would not wake up as a werewolf. The werewolf cells would be wiped out first, and the vampire blood would give him immunity against it in the future.”

“I thought you said an immunity could not be emplaced at this point,” Isaac points out.

“Vampire blood is different than human blood, or werewolf blood for that matter,” Tesla explains. “A few drops of vampire blood can change the entire genetic makeup of a person almost instantaneously. As it cures the pneumonia and kills the werewolf cells, it would mutate the human cells into something more vampiric. Therefore, a new werewolf bite would be instantly healed away.”

“Derek, I know Stiles wants to be a werewolf,” Helen acknowledges. “Let us work on a cure.”

Derek thinks for a minute. He also knows Stiles’ wishes. He must admit that he would rather have Stiles alive as a human than dead as a werewolf. “If he starts crashing, use the vampire blood. Try to find a cure, though.”

***

Four hours later, Dr. Magnus and Dr. Tesla emerge from the laboratory. Magnus is holding a syringe full of liquid in one hand. Tesla has an enormously smug smirk on his face.

“Genius strikes again,” Tesla exclaims. “We have done it!”

Helen looks sternly at Tesla. “We think we have a solution.”

“You developed a cure?” Derek asks.

“Not exactly,” Dr. Magnus answers.

“Curing the pneumonia would not make the werewolf cells within Stiles strong enough to change his cells,” Tesla explains. “However, if we could incapacitate the pneumonia momentarily and inject his bloodstream with enough healthy werewolf cells, they would be able to fight off the inactive pneumonia cells and change Stiles’ genes afterward.”

“Aren’t I still infected, though?” Derek asks.

“Yes,” Dr. Magnus answers. “That’s why we need Isaac or Scott to bite Stiles after we administer the paralytic for the pneumonia.”

“I’ll do it,” Scott volunteers. 

This isn’t how Derek wanted it to be; he wanted to be the one to change Stiles. If he can’t do it himself, than Stiles’ best friend would be the next best choice. Derek nods.

“This serum will paralyze the pneumonia cells,” Dr. Magnus tells Scott. “Once I inject it, you’ll need to bite Stiles. We think two bites should transfer enough werewolf cells to kill off the pneumonia cells and then change Stiles.”

“How long should it take?” Derek asks.

Tesla shrugs. “Depending on how strong Scott’s cells are, it could take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours.”

“We can do it whenever you would like, Derek,” Helen tells him.

“Let’s do it now,” Derek says. He leans over the bed and kisses Stiles. “I love you.”

Helen inserts the needle into Stiles’ arm. She injects the liquid and nods to Scott. Scott bites Stiles on his left bicep and then leans over and bites his right. Derek’s eyes move from Stiles to the vitals monitor and back again constantly. At first nothing changes. After a few seconds, Stiles heartbeat starts racing. The monitor is beeping quickly and loudly. Stiles body clenches and he arches slightly in the bed. He collapses and the beeping stops completely. Derek sees a straight line on the monitor and his whole world crashes before him.


	8. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles heart has stopped. Derek can't handle it.

Derek’s knees plunge into the smooth floor as they buckle under the weight of his despair. His hands become fists in his own hair. His mind is devoid of thought. Derek’s eyes race side to side as he tries to find some resemblance of comprehension, an ounce of acceptance. He’s not sure when his life become so dependent on Stiles, but he realizes now that he has lost everything. Without Stiles, Derek doesn’t even know how to move from the floor.

Scott and Isaac’s hands reach out to Derek’s shoulders, but they are as comforting as a shadow. He is aware of the talking above him, although he cannot discern a single word. He can feel his depression sinking back in. Stiles was the weight that anchored him to happiness and contentment. Something inside of him reminds Derek how angry Stiles would be if he allowed this depression to consume him. He focuses all of his energy on trying to hear the words around him.

“Dr. Magnus, what’s happening to Derek?” Scott asks through sniffles.

“You have to do something to help him,” Isaac pleads.

“Gentlemen, people grieve in their own ways,” Dr. Magnus explains. “I do not believe Derek was ever truly prepared for this outcome. His mind is racing to process this. I have known Derek for a long time; he will pull through.”

Derek looks at Helen. He cannot muster the strength to speak, so he hopes the look conveys how much he is trying to hold it together. The pain is fathomless and deepening. 

Helen does notice. “Derek, I know it hurts. You must hang on. I am so sorry for your…”

Beep.

Derek must be going crazy.

Beep.

No. No. No. He must hold on to his sanity.

Beep. Beep.

Derek lifts his head slightly to observe the scene around him. Scott and Isaac are wide-eyed. Helen is leaning over Stiles with a stethoscope pressed against his chest. Tesla is smiling in the corner. Maybe Derek isn’t crazy.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Derek’s eyes jump to the vitals monitor. He watches as the line spikes with each beep. Tears start streaming down his face as he stands and moves as close to Stiles as possible. He can hear Stiles breathing. An audible whimper escapes Derek’s throat as he watches Stiles’ hand move, searching for Derek’s.

Derek reaches down and slips his fingers between Stiles’, interlocking their hands. He gives a gentle squeeze and his heart nearly explodes as he feels a faint pressure returned by Stiles. Derek watches Stiles’ face as his eyes creep open millimeter by millimeter. Derek’s smile is brighter than the midday sun as he finally sees the brown irises he’s been lost in so many times. He watches as Stiles’ eyes flicker around the room, searching for understanding.

When Stiles speaks, his voice is coarse. “Where am I? Why is everyone crying?”

“I thought I’d lost you,” Derek answers quickly.

“Yeah, we all did,” Scott adds.

“You scared us, buddy,” Isaac admits.

Stiles looks at each of them closely. “What happened?”

Derek takes a deep breath. “It’s a really long, complicated story.”

“Oh, god. Such melodrama,” Dr. Tesla interrupts. He steps up to the bed and looks down at Stiles. Tilting his head toward Derek, Tesla summarizes, “He bit you. It did not take. They brought you here to the Sanctuary. Dr. Magnus could not help you, so she called me. Now, you are fine. You’re welcome. Story done.”

“Nikola!” Dr. Magnus exclaims. He rolls his eyes and steps heads toward the elevator.

“Is all of that true?” Stiles asks.

Scott laughs. “Yeah. Derek’s right, though; the full story is really complicated.”

“How long have I been here?” Stiles wants to know.

“A few days,” Derke tells him. “Less than a week, but it’s felt like years.” Derek leans down and kisses him. “I love you.”

Stiles looks slightly shocked. He stares at Isaac and Scott before looking back at Derek. “Um…”

“It’s ok, Stiles; they know,” Derek says.

“Oh,” Stiles answers, blushing slightly. “Then, I love you, too.”

They sit there for a few moments just staring at each other. Derek squeezes Stiles’ hand every now and then just to feel Stiles’ strengthening response. He rests his other hand on Stiles’ chest.

“Hey, wait a second,” Stiles starts. “You bit me, and it didn’t take. Creepy guy did something to save me. So, am I a…werewolf?”

“That’s a good question,” Derek responds, turning to face Dr. Magnus. “Helen?”

“Noting the speed with which your vitals are climbing, I would wager to say yes,” Dr. Magnus answers. “Since you are technically fighting off an infection, we may not see your werewolf abilities come to fruition for a few hours.”

Stiles’ face lights up like a small child’s at Christmastime. “Cool!” he shouts excitedly. He turns to Derek and wiggles his eyebrows as he teases, “Do you think I’ll be stronger than you once I heal?”

Derek smiles. “You really have no idea how glad I am to have you back to your delusional self.”

Stiles drops his jaw in mock shock. “Delusional?”

“Clearly” Derek answers before smothering Stiles with another kiss.

***

“Wait. Wait. Wait,” Stiles sputters. “Scott and Isaac?”

“Mmmhmmm,” Derek answers.

“I don’t believe it,” Stiles replies. “I mean, it doesn’t surprise me out of Scott, but Isaac?”

“They’re actually fairly adorable together,” Derek admits.

“Wow. So, we’re together, and our best friends are together,” Stiles analyzes. “Fuck. I guess we’ll all have to hang out together now.” He laughs at his own joke.

“You think you’re funny?” Derek asks.

“Oh, I’m hilarious,” Stiles answers, laughing again.

Derek smirks. “I’ll give you something to laugh about.”

Derek dives across their bed and attacks Stiles with a series of tickles. Stiles is laughing and flailing around like a fish out of water. He finally grabs onto Derek’s shoulder and holds him off. Derek can’t believe how sexy it is that Stiles is strong enough to hold his own now.

“That is so weird,” Stiles says, randomly.

“What?” Derek asks.

“I can actually smell your arousal,” Stiles answers.

Derek blushes. “Cool, right?”

“Yeah,” Stiles says. “Wait. Have you always been able to smell when I’m aroused?” Derek smiles. “Hold on. Like, even before we started dating?” Derek nods. “So, basically, you took total advantage of me.”

Derek shrugs. “You’re the one who asked me out.”

“Yeah, but only because you were flirting with me hardcore…probably because you knew I was interested,” Stiles accuses.

“How else was I supposed to let you know that the attraction was mutual?” Derek asks. “You were human then, silly.”

Stiles shrugs this time. “Fair enough. God, you really want me right now,” he adds smiling.

In response, Derek grabs the sides of Stiles face and pulls him in for a passionate kiss. Derek is glad to know that, even as a werewolf, Stiles’ heart still flutters when they kiss like this. He slides one hand down Stiles’ chest and stomach, reaching for Stiles’ hardening erection. Stiles grabs Derek’s hand a pins it above his head. Derek’s throat catches as he swallows.

“God, I love you,” Derek breathes.

“I love you, too,” Stiles says. Then, whispering, he adds, “But, you can just call me Stiles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your dedication! I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please feel free to share it with someone!
> 
> I'll be starting the sequel to my other story, A Protector Among Wolves, this weekend. That series is a little more NSFW if you're interested!


End file.
